The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-11-24
COL. jim BRowNLow's WAY
How Gen. Wheeler Failed 70 Scoop the 1st Tenn.
H-nIOnl Cav.

EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: / sec an arti-
Gle In THE TRIBUNE Of Nov. B. written by
Comrade Winslow III. Berger, Go. J., LIST Wis
Cav, giving his experience and misfortune oil
being captured together with Others Of his regi-
ment, near Cleveland Tenn in the Spring of
1864. While j cannot call To mind now the
occurrence. vet ] well remember the LIST Wis.
Cav, they being in the Second Brigade of our
division First As 10 Gen. Wheeler bringing
with him 1900 Of his best men 10 capture the
LIST Tenn. Cav, that was all right but he never
succeeded, though he had plenty Of splendid
opportunities. We crossed sabcrs with him
from the time our regiment was ordered TO
Murlreesboro, in the Spring of ls62, until our
muster ont at Nashville, Tenn, April j, 1860.
Tue 9TH Ca MID Inf. tried that in the Spring
OF 1862 near College Grove, Tenn, and got left.
When Gen. Stcedman was ordered to advance
his lines from Antioch TO Triune, the LIST Tenn.
Cav. was ordered by him 10 recOnnOiter his
front as Ear rs College Grove.
Col. Jim Brownlow moved his regiment out
the pike TO Triunc and beyond. About five
miles beyond Triune the pike forks, the left
hand prong going 10 Eagloyile and the right,
hand 10 College Grove. Half a mile beyond
the forks of the two pixies the College Grove
pike crosses the Harpeth River. The bridge
had been burned, so we forded below the
bridge and moved on 10 and through College
Grove and secuted the country well, aud IN the
afternoon started on urreturn To camp. hhen
the regiment reached the river Col. BrOwnlow
had the regiment halt, and let two companies
enter the river at a time 10 water their horses
Wheeler had been watching US all day, and SCI
trap TO catch US. He posted his men IN the
cedar thickct on our left, near the pike, with
orders that Just rs soon rs we started over th'
/ river they should raise "A whOop and charge
! down on us, pour in a yolley, and Tont us. foi
once the willy General reckoned without hi'
| host. Col Brownlow. cool and deliberate, gave
orders to form in line of battle, 10 the utter as
! Constituent OF the rebel cavalry. All this time
! the fire of Wheeler's men was heavy. Whcr
! the regiment was formed i'm line Of battle Col
Brownlow ordered his men 10 draw sabers. In
! simultaneously a Thousand ssbers leaped from
! their scabbards. The order TO charge wa
given, and in few seconds we were amonI
/ those Georgians, cutting right and left. Thu
4 shock was so great that the rebels reeled anC
staggered under the strokes of our Yankee
! cheese knives. Wepursued them for five miles
killing aud capturing almost the entire 4th Ga
Col. Brownlow then marched his regimen
back TO camp, taking along our prisoners ant
/ captured horses, aud made a present OF them Z
Gen. Steedman, receiving from him aud hi
command the warmest admiration for our sue
cess
We had almost daily brushes with Wheeler
and Forests cavalry, and every member OF tn
! LIST Tenn. Cav, as well rs each and every one o
our commanders now alive, will bear me out II
what write ! would like 10 hear from Co
A. l.. Campbell. our first brigade commander
] The brigade was composed of the following
regiments: LIST Tenn. Cav, Col. James p. Brown
low; % Mich. Cav, Col. A. p. Campbell; 81
Pa. Cav, Col. Jordan, and the 18th Ind. bat
| tery.-W. X. CARTER, Sergeant, Co {, LIST Tenn
Cav, Knoxville, Tenn.